Biggest Danger Sign You’re Eating Too Much Sugar, Dietitians Say

© Provided by Eat This, Not That!
Sick young woman lying in bed covered with blanket

Sugar is hard to escape in the American diet. It’s in everything from condiments to fruit juices to bread. And yes, even in those McDonald’s fries. And Americans eat a lot of it.

“Today, the average American consumes nearly 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day, according to researchers at the University of California at San Francisco,” says Sue Heikkinen, MS, RD, Registered Dietitian for MyNetDiary. One in four Americans far exceeds the USDA recommended daily added sugar limit of 50 grams, instead consuming 105 grams of added sugar per day. (American Heart Association guidelines suggest no more than 24 grams of added sugar for women and no more than 35 grams for men.)

Most of this sugar comes from drinks. “Sugary drinks, such as soda, energy drinks, and sweetened tea, are the primary source of added sugar, providing 47% of the added sugar in the American diet,” Heikkinen says. “There is encouraging news – this intake of added sugar represents a decrease from previous reports.”

Eat a diet high in sugar, and the impact won’t show until later.

“Many of the side effects of consuming too much sugar are not immediate, but build up over time,” says Elizabeth Spencer, MS, RDN, LDN, dietitian at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital. “These include the risk of type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, heart disease and joint inflammation.”

Excessive consumption of added sugar can lead to various health issues like weight gain, inflammation, and diabetes, so you’ll want to look for signs that you’re overdoing it before it gets worse.

One of the biggest danger signs that you are eating too much sugar is that you constantly feel anxious and tired.

Sugar is our body’s main source of energy, so it’s somewhat ironic that eating too much food can tire us out. “Eating sugary foods can indeed give an energy boost, but it can lead to a crash later,” Heikkinen says. “It can set up a vicious cycle of turning to sugar again for quick energy and then feeling tired again later on. Fatigue can also be a symptom of high blood sugar (caused by excessive sugar consumption). . ” (Related: 100 Most Unhealthy Foods On The Planet.)

Spencer explains that eating too much sugar at once can cause anxiety, but fatigue will come quickly afterwards. “Eating a food high in sugar can increase the amount of sugar in our bloodstream very quickly and provide a rapid surge of energy, as well as feelings of anxiety and nervousness,” says Spencer. “When we have too much sugar in our bloodstream, our body quickly produces the hormone insulin to get the sugar into our cells. This can then cause a sugar crash due to the decrease in sugar in our bloodstream resulting in that afternoon drop and low energy. “

This feeling of being overwhelmed will not only drain your energy at certain times of the day, it can even go so far as to disrupt a good night’s sleep.

“Consuming large amounts of sugar is linked to poor quality sleep,” says Spencer. “In a clinical trial evaluating the impact of sugar on sleep, those who consumed significant amounts of sugar had less time to sleep soundly and slow-wave restorative. Those who ate more sugar also took longer to fall asleep.

How to integrate sugar into a healthy diet?

You don’t need to totally ban yourself from sugar.

“While there are health risks from excess sugar, it is by no means poison,” Heikkinen says.

In fact, cutting out sugar entirely or forbidding yourself to have your favorite treat will make you crave it even more, making it harder to control the portion when you eat it.

“If you can limit sneaky sources of added sugar like cereals, salad dressings, and granola bars, you can leave room in your budget for foods you really enjoy, like a piece of chocolate,” Heikkinen says.

Aim for added sugar in moderation combined with conscientious eating habits.

“Having sugary foods every now and then is good! Moderation is key here. Zoom out the overview of your eating habits and look at ‘how much and how often’ you have a food. sweet, ”says Spencer.

She recommends a few simple ways to moderate your sugar intake.

Read nutrition labels and keep sugar below 6 grams of added sugar per serving of a packaged food (this excludes fruits and plain dairy products).

Pair foods with added sugar with protein, fat, and fiber to slow digestion and improve satiety. An example would be pairing a serving of sweet granola with plain Greek yogurt and high fiber berries.

And if you’re struggling to manage your sugar intake, or if you’re feeling out of control with sugar, another recommendation is to connect with a registered dietitian who can help you incorporate sugar in a healthy way. For help, check out these 20 Ways to End Sugar Cravings for Good, According to Nutritionists.

For more information on healthy eating, be sure to Subscribe to our newsletter!

Read the original article on Eat this, not that!